Washington — According to a widespread belief in the education world, private schools prepare students better and achieve higher results on standardized tests.
“Tehsil365”, citing Valley News, reports that some school choice advocates support directing public funds to private schools. However, a new study shows that this is not the case.
Researchers at the University of Virginia analyzed data from over 1,000 students and found that when social and demographic factors are taken into account, the claimed advantages of private schools disappear. There is no evidence that low-income children or children attending urban schools benefit more from private schools.
These findings confirm previous research and are especially important against the backdrop of the misconception that public schools are inferior to private schools. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has long supported directing public funds to private and religious schools.
The study was conducted by Robert Pianta, Dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia and a professor of education and psychology, along with postdoctoral researcher Arya Ansari. In an interview, Pianta said: “When controlling for family income and parents’ education level, the difference between private and public schools completely disappears.”
Pianta noted that high-income and well-educated parents provide additional resources and stimulation to their children before they even start school, which can continue throughout the school years.
The research tracked children’s achievements, social adjustment, motivation, and risky behaviors through age 15 in a long-term study. The results show that private school education does not provide any particular advantage in student achievement or social outcomes.
Pianta and Ansari write: “There is no evidence that school voucher programs improve student performance in private schools. When family income is taken into account, the length of enrollment does not affect outcomes.”
This study aligns with previous research. For example, Christopher and Sarah Lubienski, in their 2013 book The Public School Advantage, showed that when demographic factors are considered, public school students perform better than private school students.